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Geez, I can't believe I am asking questions on how to do stuff.
menace:
As far as i can see there wouldn't be any problem with the jamma fingerboard idea--as long as some of the inputs that you wanted to use were plugged in when the machine is powered on. I think the USB and keywhiz would be fine but you may encounter problems with the ps/2 and gameport since they don't handle being unplugged and plugged back in too well. I haven't experimented alot with this so you may get better mileage depending on your OS and the devices you're using.
Lilwolf:
Yes.. but not as much as they used to.
If you unplug / replug a keyboard in one older boards, you used to be able to blow the keyboard bios. I haven't seen it for years... but I still wouldn't do it.
Encoders have no trouble. (so keep the keyboard encoder plugged in 24/7 but break the connections from there.
As for the usb connection.. you can unplug either side of a usb cale at any point. It was designed for plug'n'play so you should be fine.
but why are you using jamma if you are going to change the interface on it? Keep the jamma interface normal so you can plug in real boards and create a second wiring harness for the extra buttons.
Otherwise, you might as well hack some serial cables. The only real advantage is jamma is compatibility. Other then that...
menace:
I was more referring to the point that plugging in a gameport or ps/2 connection will not be recognized if the machine is already on--i wasn't aware you could fry your bios-- :o
And I stopped asking what and why people are doing what they are doing unless its really bizarre (then its just morbid curiosity)--i like to think of this board as the genetic evolution of arcade building-- for every 10 or 100 really bad ideas (and thus hopefully eliminated from the "gene" pool), something will develop (i.e random mutatation) that is really good, further evolving the craft to a higher state ;D
Brad Lee:
The PS2 may be a prob, but it may not be.. It's really gonna depend on the motherboard. Seems like msot of the newer ones dont have a problem plugging in and out.
Im not sure if its a simple resitance test to see if its plugged in, or if it actually sends & receives from the logic boards inthe mouse to see if its present
Kinda like in KVM switches- good ones will have power and fool your computer into thinking it's still attached even when you switch to a new comp. Ive had a crap one here at work that was basically just a wiring junction & a rotary switch- if it wasnt turned to the PC you wanted & you rebooted, it wouldnt detect the mouse or keyboard. This was an early era pII
Vol:
Does a computer have any issue with any of the following.
A USB cable hooked up with nothing attached.
No problem, that would essentially be a 1 port USB hub.
A PS2 mouse cable hooked up with nothing attached.
No problem, however computers do not like PS2 devices to be connected after the operating system has loaded
Or a gameport cable hooked up with nothing attached.
No problem
I wouldn't THINK so, but I never tried the mouse cable or gameport one.
All of the above items can be considered in the same way as extension cables. Think about it as if you soldered a seperate wire to each individual attachment on the port side.
If there are no problems with the above.
Then would there be any issues in spitting up any of those cables over fatter (IE, JAMMA) wires over part of their length?
PS2 and Analog gamepad cables would probably work without a problem here. USB may be finicky about impedence.